Funky Wallpapers

Create a new document what ever size your wallpaper will be, i shall be using 1024x768 for the purpose of this tutorial. Fill your background with a linear gradient using the colors of your choice, i find it best to use the eye dropper and select a color from your main object. The colors I'm using are #691e35 and #c93663.

Now create a new layer and label this "lines". With adobe photoshop there are loads of free custom shapes and one in particular will suit this tutorial for the effect we want to achieve, instead of create loads of separate lines will shall use this shape. (see image below). To get to your custom shapes click and hold on the icon under your "type tool" then select custom shapes.

If you don't see any shapes click the "little black arrow" and go to "all", scroll down and find the shape, once selected drag it out as big as you, the bigger the better. Then select the pen tool, right click the shape and go to fill path, then right click once more and go to delete path. If the shape isn't the color you wanted just add a color overlay in the layer styles. Set opacity to 20% and blending mode to overlay.

Now find a picture you want to use as a center piece for your wallpaper, i shall be using this audi (full credit going to author Norder Creations) <- check his deviantart. Place your object in my case the audi into the center of the canvas.

Cut out the background the best you can so you are left with just the object.

Now for this part you are going to need some:
*tech brushes*
*splatter brushes*
all of which can be downloaded for free from here.

Select your splatter brushes and a color that best fits in with your wallpaper. Now don't go mental just add a few splatters here and there, I'm going to use 2 colors picked off the audi with the eye dropper tool.

Now begin to add some tech brushes, again don't go mad as it will look too messy. Lower the opacity of your brushes to about 20-30%.

In your custom shapes you will also notice there are many other shapes you can use, likehellip;hellip; some arrows.

Keep adding little different things to build up the image. Most of the stuff i have used has been duplicated/rotated and replaced somewhere else

Maybe add a bit of text with some simple layer styles.

Towards the end of your creation you could maybe add some sparkles. There are many pre-made brushes in photoshop you could use, there are some sparkles under "assorted brushes". Add some sparkles and add a simple outer glow for that little extra touch.

Click to enlarge

Thanks for reading.